Japan
Current Score
Global Rank
Percentile
Last Updated
Ranking Trend
Japan's rank movement over the last 30 days
Score Analysis
Analysis of Japan's policy signalling profile
Japan's overall WokeMeter assessment score is 56, placing it in the moderate-high signalling intensity category. This score is slightly higher than the composite dimension scores, reflecting recent developments such as the election of Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s first female Prime Minister in 2025, which represents a significant signalling event in terms of gender equality and female political leadership. While Japan has not fully embraced all aspects of Western-style progressive policies, particularly in LGBTQ rights where same-sex marriage remains unrecognized, the milestone of a female leader enhances its signalling intensity. Additionally, corporate governance reforms and emerging DEI initiatives further contribute to the score, indicating a moderate yet notable commitment to policy signalling.
The dimension scores reveal a balanced approach across various areas of policy signalling. The Legislative/Regulatory Activism score is the highest at 64.23, indicating a relatively strong regulatory framework compared to other dimensions, which average around the low to mid-50s. Speech & Expression Climate, Institutional DEI Policy Intensity, and Education & Curriculum Signalling all hover in the low 50s, suggesting moderate signalling intensity in these areas. Media & Platform Moderation and Corporate/Investor Signalling show similar levels of engagement, reflecting Japan's tentative steps towards more comprehensive DEI and content moderation policies. Overall, Japan's policy signalling presents a picture of gradual transformation, with notable developments in gender equality leadership.
Score Breakdown by Dimension
Weighted components of the composite score
Recent Events
Events that influenced this country's score
Japan, US defence chiefs discuss radar row; Mexico’s China tariffs: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Japan, US defence chiefs cover radar row and other China tensions in phone call US and Japanese defence chiefs spoke on the phone on Friday about a confrontation between Chinese and Japanese fighter jets over the weekend, with Tokyo saying it did not seek to escalate the tensions. 2. Mexico slaps tariffs of up to 50% on Chinese goods as US trade pact review...
Japan finally airs Oscar-nominated #MeToo film ‘Black Box Diaries’ after lengthy delay
A Japanese #MeToo campaigner’s documentary premiered in her homeland on Friday after months of delays, with one audience member saying she hoped it triggered a change in society. Shiori Ito won a landmark 2019 civil case against a Japanese TV reporter accused of raping her – a charge he denies – and turned her ordeal into a film released last year and screened worldwide. But some segments of Black Box Diaries contained video and audio that had been clandestinely shot or meant only for use in...
Provocative Japanese actions risk plunging Asia into peril: PLA Daily
As Beijing prepared to mark the 88th anniversary of the Nanking massacre, China’s military mouthpiece warned on Friday that provocative actions by right-wing Japanese politicians risked plunging Asia into peril. PLA Daily published the warning in a commentary the day before sirens will sound out across Nanjing, the capital of eastern Jiangsu province, at 10.01am during national commemorations led by the Communist Party’s Central Committee and the State Council. According to China’s official...
Hong Kong tourist arrested in Japan after crashing rental car, injuring driver
Local immigration authorities have received a request for help after a 46-year-old Hong Kong tourist was arrested in Japan following a car crash. The Hong Kong man was arrested after his rental car reportedly veered across the centre line on a frozen highway in Kyowa, Hokkaido, colliding with another vehicle at around 3.50pm on Wednesday. The Japanese driver, 52, in the other vehicle was taken to hospital with sternum and left wrist fractures. The Hong Kong driver and his three passengers were...
Here’s What to Know About Japan’s Mega Quake Advisory
Japan’s government says that the chances of a magnitude 8 earthquake have increased. Scientists can’t predict when one will strike, but it represents a meaningful jump over typical odds.
WHO responds to agency chief’s alleged pledge to ‘strengthen ties’ with Taiwan
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that its position on Taiwan remained unchanged, after Japan’s finance minister claimed that the health body’s chief executive intended to strengthen ties with the island. On December 6, Japan’s Minister of Finance Satsuki Katayama stated in a social media post in Japanese that, during a visit to Tokyo, the WHO director general had “explicitly [stated] his intention to strengthen ties” with Taiwan. The post followed a forum in Tokyo on universal...
Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s Chinese show cancelled as Japan row rumbles on
An exhibition based on the works of the celebrated Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou has been postponed as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate. Studio Ghibli, the Oscar-winning anime studio which Miyazaki co-founded, announced the decision on Tuesday without giving a reason. “We apologise to the audience who have been looking forward to this event, and sincerely thank you for your understanding and support,” the statement said....
Japanese chess player calls out association's pregnancy bias
A prominent shogi player says current rules force players to choose between their children and careers.
In Japan, rise in bear attacks spurs demand for robot wolf, AI cameras
As Japan continues to battle record numbers of bear attacks, a robot wolf invented to scare the animals away has become a surprise hit, with inquiries for the product tripling in recent months. The faux fur-clad Monster Wolf, developed by Hokkaido-based precision machining company Ohta Seiki, may not look realistic – it was initially mocked for its “foolish” appearance – but has proven its effectiveness since it was first released in 2016, according to Kyodo news agency. When the robot wolf’s...
South Korea vows ‘stern response’ as Japan renews claim to disputed Liancourt Rocks
South Korea has rejected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s renewed claim to disputed islets in the East Sea, setting off the latest round of diplomatic friction over one of the region’s most enduring territorial disputes. A senior official at the presidential office in Seoul said on Tuesday there was no ambiguity about who controlled the rocky outcrops – known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan – describing them as “an integral part of Korean territory historically,...